Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Still Life with a Twist




Gilda Jabbari


I am a self-portrait photographer born in 1992 in Shiraz, Iran. I have been living in Dubai for almost 20 years. Currently I am finishing my bachelor’s degree in Studio Art and Photography at AUD.

As a photographer, I have begun to concentrate on Still life. Studying them in paintings through history as well as in photography. In this Photograph I have decided to capture the beauty of Persian/Islamic culinary. My main concept is to show their spirituality by creating a setup that illuminates the objects with a soft light. Portraying a silence that is peaceful through the images. I would be concentrating on the aesthetics of the photograph that will aid me to portray an important aspect in Islam, peace and spirituality. This photograph also deconstructs the stereotype that Muslims are not open to other cultures and beliefs. Because as an Iranian and a Muslim who lives in a multicultural society, I am open to and associate different ideologies in my life.

I had first become exposed to Still Life paintings through contemporary Iranian painters, Morteza Katouzian and Manouchehr Malekshahi. Then through my research I understood the development of the still life paintings.  It had mainly started in the Northern Western Europe. The Dutch painters started the Still Life genre, creating beautiful pieces. Then the Iranian artists who started traveling to Europe were influenced and inspired by them. They created the Still life paintings in the same technique as the Dutch painters though; the elements and objects used are associated with the Persian culture, for example, the “Silent Companion” of Malekshahi.

Hence, the photograph I create has a western influence; I think it is an important point. It shows how Muslims have always been open to accepting other cultural traits into their own.

No comments:

Post a Comment